Shining
by Klamshell
Summary: I'm not a fighter. I'm not a tactician; I'm nothing but a late farmer's daughter. Somehow, I was accepted into the Shepherds, and got one of them to fall head over heels for me. Literally. OC insert; Post-FE:A. (Summary edited: 5/7/14)
1. Awakening

". . . There's a survivor! Over here!"

"How is she?"

"She's . . . in pretty bad shape, but she's breathing."

Slowly, my consciousness returned to me. Voices filled my ears; however I didn't know their owners. I allowed my eyes to open, although I was greeted with nothing but a blur. I blinked my eyes a few times, but the blur didn't go away. I could only see the colors of the people hovering over me.

"Hello there," Said one of them in a soft voice. Her voice was somewhat squeaky, and I could barely make out the yellow that donned her. "It's going to be alright; we're here."

"Huh . . . ?" I managed to get out of my mouth. It finally occurred to me that my lips were terribly dry, though I didn't have the strength to even move my tongue properly to lick them. I groaned, letting my head roll to the side slightly.

"Robin, do you think you could hold her down?" The squeaky voice asked quietly, and I heard a deep grunt come from one of them.

"Sure, if you think it will help," The person called Robin replied. All too quickly, I felt a pair of rough, strong hands on my shoulders, keeping me down on the ground. I didn't know why this Robin was holding me down; had I done something wrong? What was even going on, anyway?

The pain in my leg didn't set in until the yellow-donned girl lit her staff and touched it to my right thigh. It was unbearable; excruciating. I couldn't stop myself from thrashing and screaming; however Robin's hands firmly held me down almost without problem. I heard soft words of comfort come from the girl who was lighting the fiery pain in my leg, but I ignored them. I had never felt something like this in my life.

Slowly, the pain in my thigh eased to just a sore feeling. My screams died and my thrashings stopped, much to Robin's belief. He let me go and stood back up, examining me from head to toe.

"There," Chirped the healer, "all better . . . sort of. Hey, do me a favor and blink your eyes will you?"

I reluctantly did as she asked, and the blurriness in my eyes went away. When I could see clearly, I saw that there were three people hovering over me; the squeaky-voiced girl who held a staff and had her hair in pigtails; Robin, who had white, shaggy hair and only an inch taller than the girl next to him; and a man with blue hair, kind yet hard eyes and a sword on his hip. The blue haired man offered me his hand, which I hesitantly took. He hoisted me to my feet, which the blonde haired girl quickly objected. I could see why, feeling the soreness in my leg, I didn't want to be standing.

"Are you alright?" The man asked me, and I had to swallow a few times before I could reply.

"Y-yes, I'm okay. I think. Maybe. What happened?" I let the words flow from my mouth a bit too fast, and the man in front of me chuckled.

"I suppose it's not a bad thing you don't remember . . . look around."

I did as he ordered, and immediately I regretted it. A gasp escaped my lips as I examined the burned down buildings and burned bodies around me. The sky was red with a tint of black from the smoke, and the smell of burning flesh made me want to vomit. I had to stare for a moment before I remembered exactly what had happened before this moment – we had been attacked by a large group of bandits, and our villagers weren't exactly cut out for fighting. I, with training for a lance, had taken my father's in an attempt to protect as many people as I could. It was to no avail; I was wounded and the pain must have knocked me out. I let out a choked noise and looked down, only to see my father's lance broken in half.

"What you did was heroic," The healer waved her staff, "but stupid. If I hadn't have been here, you would be dead! Though, Robin was the one who killed off the last bandit before he killed you . . ." Robin let out a snort and crossed his arms.

"It was nothing heroic, it was just stupid entirely." He said bluntly, and I felt anger eating at me. I knew what I did was stupid, but what was I supposed to do? Stand there and get stabbed by a barbarian's dagger?

"Let's get off of that," Said the man with blue hair, "what's your name?"

". . . Sylphie, my . . . my name is Sylphie." I replied after a moment, clearing my throat. I didn't think last names mattered at the moment.

"My name is Chrom, and this is my younger sister, Lissa," He motioned to himself, then at his sister, "she was the one who healed you–"

"Obviously!" She butted in. "Who else here is a healer? Not you, nor Robin! It should be obvious!" Her face was noticeably red, and she was making furious hand motions with her free hand. I was surprised she didn't explode.

Robin eventually cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but . . . we need to go. This isn't a nice environment to chat in."

"Let's go back to Frederick!" Lissa grinned and held up her staff, looking at me. "Is she coming, too?"

"I suggest we leave her here." Robin stated bluntly. I swear I wanted to smack him. My blood boiled, but something in my gut told me that that would be a _bad _idea.

"We can't just leave her here with her weapon broken and her village destroyed," Chrom reasoned, "we're taking her with us."

"I advise highly against that–"

"Screw your advisories!" Lissa huffed, marching over to me and grabbing my arm. "We're bringing her, whether you like it or not!"

Robin pinched the bridge of his nose, and I looked down at the cleric. She had her cheeks puffed out, like she was so set on bringing me with them. In all honesty, I was confused, nor did I know these people at all. This was so irrational . . . like some of the stories I read where the heroine went with her new party right away. I wanted to say no, but what would I do then? My village, my friends, my parents . . . they were all gone. I couldn't stay here.

"U-um, if you say so . . ." I mumbled out, my voice shyer than usual. Lissa looked up at me and beamed, marching ahead and pulling me along after her. I glanced at Robin, and noticed he was giving me a glare. Did he not trust me that much? What harm was I at this point?

Ten minutes passed, and we were on the trail away from the village. The smell of the bodies and fire had started to die a small bit, but it was still there. It was disgusting and I hated it, but it seemed like they were used to it. The cleric had let go of my arm about three minutes ago, but she kept eyeing me like I would sprint away from them. I don't think I could run if I wanted to.

Suddenly, my foot (on my bad leg, mind you) managed to find its way into a hole, and my ankle twisted itself as I fell onto my face. The sore feeling in my thigh had begun to hurt again, and it didn't help that my ankle was screaming too.

"Are you okay?" I heard Lissa ask me worriedly, lighting up her staff. Before she could do anything, Chrom stopped her.

"We can heal her when we get back to camp. For now . . ."

He helped me up onto my feet, though I was hopping on one foot. Suddenly he crouched down and reached his arms behind his back, pathetically motioning with his hands. I didn't want to, not in the least bit, but I had no choice unless I wanted to roll or hop the rest of the way. With a mumble of a curse I got onto his back, and he stood up with his hands carefully under my legs. It seemed like he had no problems at all. Was I really that light?

Hesitantly, I put my arms around his neck lightly and allowed him to carry me. Robin shot me quite rude looks and Lissa paid me no attention. A few minutes ago she had been clinging to me, and now she was acting like I wasn't here. I guess I wouldn't look at someone either if they were riding my brother's back.

* * *

I don't know how long had passed, but apparently, I had fallen asleep. Chrom woke me up by using his arms to shake me lightly, which woke me up easier than I thought. I wasn't usually known for my light sleeping, but I guess since I was still in pain, the sleep wasn't that bad. I would like to get some r_eal _sleep in a bit, though; my eyes were heavy.

I saw that there was a camp, and at least six different tents set up around a campfire. I wondered if each tent was one person, or if there were two to a tent.

"The tent to the far right is mine!" Lissa pointed to it. "There's Chrom's, Robin's, Frederick's, Gaius' and Sumia's. We weren't able to bring everyone with us . . . oh well! You'll share a tent with me, Sylphie."

Well, that answered my question.

I was carried into the tent, where the man gently put me down on the bed (which wasn't really a bed, just blankets and a pillow on the ground,) nodded to me, and left. Lissa sat down next to me.

"Hold out your ankle," She ordered, and I did so. She used her fingers to put pressure on it, and I winced.

"Oh, just a twist! It's nothing I can't fix." With a confident grin, she lit up her staff and put the end of it gently against my ankle. Within a few seconds, the pain subsided, and I could move my ankle again. "See? All better!" Lissa grinned and let out a giggle, one that my ears couldn't decide to be musical or irritating.

"Thank you." I said quietly, laying my head back on the pillow. I let my eyes close, but Lissa reached up and slapped my shoulder.

"Hey, no sleeping; we need to introduce you to the others!"

"I-I'm not one for introductions–"

"Too bad!" Lissa grabbed my wrist and pulled me onto my feet, dragging me along as she eagerly left her tent. I saw three others standing around the fire with Robin, Lissa and Chrom, and they all looked intimidating.

"Like I said earlier – these are our other units!" Lissa pointed to them as the named them. "Frederick, Sumia, and Gaius. They're all pretty nice as long as you're not threatening!"

"Milady." Frederick bowed, though I didn't say anything in reply.

Sumia gave me a smile, though I could tell she was nervous.

The only thing Gaius gave me was a "'Sup" before he went back to chewing on a lollipop or something.

"This is Sylphie," Lissa introduced, and I realized that Lissa was the one who did the most talking to me. Chrom nodded to me occasionally, Robin gave me glares, and Lissa chatted like there was no tomorrow. These were the Shepherds, I could tell; how could I be in their presence?

"What weapon does she use?" Sumia asked, eyeing me curiously.

"Well, she attempted to use a lance, though failed horribly at it." Robin finally spoke up, and I rolled my eyes.

"Hey, I'm not a professional," I tried to say, but it barely came out louder than a whisper. Apparently no one heard me, because I was ignored.

"If we're keeping her, maybe I can train her!" Sumia piped up.

"Hah, that's funny. You can't keep yourself upright for more than ten seconds and you think you can tutor someone?" Gaius snorted, and Sumia's face flushed.

"I'd be happy to help," Frederick added, but Robin shook his head.

"She's not staying." He said simply, and Lissa pouted.

"Where will she go?" She asked, crossing her arms. "We've taken a liking to her, I think, and she'll probably die all alone!"

"That's not my problem."

I gulped and took a step towards Robin. "Y-you can trust me," I said as loud as I could, "I'll try my best!"

I heard a snicker from Gaius behind me and a relieved sigh from Sumia, but I ignored both. Robin looked me up and down, before sighing loudly and waving a hand.

"Fine." He muttered.

"Well, it looks like luck is on your side," Chrom said, causing Lissa to laugh. "No one can persuade Robin that easily."

"Hey! I'll have you know I'm still strongly against this!"

I couldn't help but laugh as well. Though, eventually I coughed and turned to them all. Their chatter stopped and they looked at me.

". . . So, do you guys herd sheep like the rumors say?"

"She's leaving."

"_Robin_!"


	2. Nibbles?

**A/N: Oh man, second chapter. The first chapter wasn't as amazing as I hoped, but I'm trying. Anyway, this is a lot of fun to write and I'm also writing it for the sake of a friend. However, if you would like me to update faster than I already plan to, R&R! uwu I don't own Fire Emblem: Awakening or its characters; I only own this story's plot and my characters. I don't own Freyja, who will appear in later chapters, either. (If you have a problem with macarons existing in this universe, that's just too bad. Macarons are a thing now and nothing can stop me.)**

"So, where are you from?"

Lifting my head, I looked over at the question's owner. It was Sumia, who sat near me. Robin, Chrom and Frederick were attempting to get some form of food, while Lissa and Gaius were in their own tents. What they were doing by themselves, I didn't know.

"I was born in the small town nearby," I replied, jerking my thumb in that direction, "but it's gone now. It was burned and slaughtered."

"O-oh," Sumia murmured. "I'm so sorry. So you're the only survivor?"

I nodded, playing with my thumbs. "Yes, I am. But it's okay, I guess. I never minded being the lone . . . sheep."

"You're not alone!" She gave me a warm smile. "Even though we just met, I can tell you have a good aura. You'll be accepted in no time."

"Are there more of you?"

"Of course! We can't be Shepherds without more than six of us. We have way too many 'sheep' to tend to, honestly."

I nodded and looked down at my hands. "So you tend to the people's needs?"

"Yes! Prince Chrom, who is now the Exalt, is our captain. Though, when Lucina came, she brought over more children than he could handle."

I had heard the stories – apparently, three years ago, Chrom's daughter had traveled back time to change the future. That, surprisingly, was the only reason our world still existed. I somewhat didn't believe it, but I had never seen Lucina before. Maybe I'd get my chance.

"Who is his wife?" I asked out of curiosity. I hadn't paid attention to the details.

Sumia's face seemed to fall slightly. "He's married to Cordelia," she replied, "they have two kids – Lucina and Severa."

"Oh . . . why do you look so sad?"

"I-it's no reason, really." She forced a smile.

I automatically could tell that Sumia was in love with him. Speaking about his wife must have made her heart break, and it was pretty much my fault because I asked. I opened my mouth to apologize, but I was interrupted when Chrom, Frederick and Robin returned with rabbits in their hands. As he passed, Frederick said, "I hope you do not mind rabbit meat. However, if it was _bear _meat, I would certainly advise you against it milady."

'Milady?' How long have I been royalty?

"Please, just Sylphie will do," I said quietly, but he was a bit too far to hear me. I sighed and set my hands on my knees. I didn't want to tell him, either, that I wasn't a fan of meat.

An hour passed, and the rabbit was almost done cooking over the fire. Everyone sat around; Lissa chatted with Frederick, Chrom and Robin talked over a book; Gaius spoiled his dinner with candy and Sumia was the one tending to the rabbits. After I sighed for the sixth time, Gaius moved next to me and offered a lollipop (as surprising as it sounds.) "Hey, cheer up Nibbles."

". . . Nibbles?"

"Yeah, Nibbles. I see you nibbling on your lip every so often, so you're Nibbles."

I took the lollipop and popped it into my mouth, raising an eyebrow. "That's retarded. Honestly, your nickname sucks."

"Hey! My nicknames are A plus, thank you!" He frowned, waving his lollipop around as he spoke. "My nicknames are genius."

"Oh, yeah," I said sarcastically, "Nibbles is definitely a name I appreciate."

Gaius grinned and slapped my shoulder lightly. "I knew you'd like it, Nibbles."

"Nibbles?" Sumia questioned from across the fire. I shook my head and took the lollipop out of my mouth.

"Don't ask," I muttered, putting the candy back into my mouth and biting down on it. "You know, now that I'm paying attention to the flavor, I can tell it's cherry . . ."

"Cherry's a good flavor." Gaius commented. I nodded and took the now plain stick out of my mouth when Sumia announced that the meat was ready.

We stood in a small line, with Gaius behind me and Robin in front of me. I tapped Robin's shoulder, and he turned to me. That was when I realized that he was at least three heads taller and I barely reached up to his shoulders.

"Hi . . ." I mumbled, and I think Robin smiled for a half second.

"Hello . . . I'm sorry for being so harsh to you earlier, okay? Lissa told me to apologize, and I'm trying to make this as sincere as possible. We took in someone from your situation before and it turned out they were dangerous."

"Well I can assure you that I'm not dangerous; I can barely hold a lance properly!" I said, and his eyes hardened.

"That's what the last one said." He muttered, turning back around. I opened my mouth to say something else, but he swiftly went back to his spot once he got his piece. I sighed and took mine from Sumia, returning to my own spot.

"Don't mind him," Chrom called to me, jerking a thumb in Robin's direction, "he's just a natural born jackass."

That earned a laugh and a light punch from Robin, which Chrom returned. I cracked a grin and shook my head, forcing myself to take a bite of my rabbit. As stated before, I never liked meat. I grew up on fruits and vegetables and grains, not meat. It wasn't like I wanted to throw it up or anything. Nope.

Okay, I couldn't hide it anymore. I _hate _meat. It was too rough and bland and I just couldn't eat it. I dropped my leg onto the ground and crossed my arms.

"What's wrong, Sylphie? Is it undercooked?" Sumia asked with a worried look on her face.

"No, it's fine. I'm just . . . I'm a vegetarian." I mumbled, and she gasped.

"Why didn't you tell me?! I could've made you something non-meaty" She cried, and I held up my hands.

"It's okay, really! I'll live, Sumia. I'm not–" I was stopped when a strange object was shoved into my mouth. It had a sweet taste, and I automatically guessed it was some kind of treat.

"It's called a macaron," I heard Gaius say, and I cautiously sniffed a few times before biting down. As cliché as this sounds, the flavor nearly exploded in my mouth, and it was one of the best things I had ever tasted.

"Macaron?" I asked, my mouth full. He nodded.

"Yup, it's really great!"

"What's it made out of?" I wiped my mouth.

"I dunno. It has egg or something."

I finished chewing and swallowed, looking at him curiously. I had never had such a treat before!

"You've never had a macaron before, milady?" Frederick asked, and I suddenly felt extremely embarrassed.

"In my village, sweets or food like that was extremely rare, unless someone rode to Ylisstol and got some." It was true, and sometimes groups of sons and fathers would ride to the capital to get various treats for their families. My father got me chocolate once, and it was delicious.

"Have _you _been to Ylisstol?" Lissa asked, coming over and sitting down next to me.

"No," I sighed, "I would love to though."

"It's your lucky day, then," Chrom butted in, "we're spending the next two days traveling. Then, we'll be at the capital."

"Really?!" I beamed. Chrom nodded, and I thought I was going to squeal. I was going to Ylisstol, with the _Shepherds_. God, I sounded like a fangirl. I didn't know if it was a joke or not; or even if it was just a dream. I hope it was real.

* * *

Apparently it wasn't a joke or a dream, because at the buttcrack of dawn Lissa woke me up. She forced me to sit up, then reached into a bag and pulled out a cloak. She shoved it at me.

"It's supposed to rain." She pat my shoulder and ran out of the tent.

And it did rain.

_Hard_.

The others walked (well, Sumia and Frederick rode) through the rain like it was nothing. I had tripped into the mud twice and my feet hurt; it didn't help that I was soaked to the bone.

"C'mon, Nibbles, we've only been walking for three hours. You can't be tired!" Gaius teased. I shot him a glare.

"Shut u-up!"

"Need a ride?" Sumia asked, stopping her Pegasus next to me.

"No," I grit my teeth and picked up the pace, before abruptly tripping on a tree's root and falling onto my face again. Suddenly, someone's hand grasped my cloak and pulled me up. I was swept off of my feet and placed onto something hard. A few seconds later, the thing I was on moved, and I knew I was on Sumia's Pegasus.

"Man, you're freezing!" I heard her say, looking back at me. "Lean against me; I'm pretty warm."

"Sumia, that's awkward!" Lissa said, but I ignored her. Hesitantly, I wrapped my arms around her waist and leaned up against her, only to find that she _was _pretty warm. I took in a deep breath, resting my head on her back. In only a few minutes, her warmth spread to me, and the rain barely bothered me anymore. I closed my eyes, the rocking of the Pegasus' walk putting weight onto my eyelids.

All too soon, I was awoken when Lissa's staff tapped up against my leg. "Hey, Sylphie! Don't fall asleep against our Pegasus knight!" She scolded, and my eyes widened as my face went red. Sumia let out a laugh.

"It's okay, really," She said with a wave of her hand. "Even though the rain is letting up, I'd be happy to keep her warm. Sleep as long as you'd like, Sylphie."

However, Lissa's words shot through me like a bullet, and I nearly shot up as I moved a bit away from Sumia. I couldn't find any words. I had never fallen asleep against a woman like that; despite the fact that she was comfortably warm. I was never one for anyone's body heat but mine.

"I-I'm okay," I said finally, "I'm warm and awake now."

Sumia glanced back at me, raising her eyebrows before looking ahead again. I crossed my arms, the blush on my face staying radiant.

About an hour later, when the rain was only a drizzle, Robin announced that it was time to set up camp. I, having no idea how to set up a camp, leaned up against a wet tree and closed my eyes again.

I honestly didn't care for this at all, but I knew complaining wouldn't help me. I'd only get a comment or a look in return. I had grown up on a farm, yes; but I didn't have to walk for hours on end most days, nor did I have to walk in the pouring rain. Mother forced me inside when the clouds released their fury on us.

I sighed and watched each person – Robin and Chrom set up tents, Sumia helped Frederick attempt a fire through the drizzle, Lissa played with her staff and Gaius frowned when – help me, great Lord, so I do not laugh – he saw some of his candies were soaked and soggy. Sucks for him, huh?

I slid down with my back against the tree and pulled my knees up to my chest. I kind of felt useless at the moment. I would ask to help, but I didn't think I could do anything efficient. Every job was occupied by people who could do it, except for Lissa and Gaius.

"Hey, Nibbles," I looked up and saw Gaius leaning against the tree. I hadn't even heard him come over.

"What?"

"Dinner is meat again, you know."

"I noticed," I grumbled. He grinned at me and knelt down.

"Well, I can get you some more macarons," He said, making a clicking noise with his tongue.

"Really? Where?" I felt childish getting so excited. I was eighteen! I couldn't get excited over sweets like Gaius did.

"I scouted out a little town that's a few miles away. They have it for sure; I think I saw a stall."

"How will you get it?"

"I have my ways," His grin widened and he stood up. "Just don't tell Blue or anyone else where I'm going, 'kay?"

I nodded. "Okay, but–"

"Just say I had to take a really long leak or something."

A snort came from my mouth, and I covered it with my hands quickly. I was honestly surprised no one was listening to our conversation.

"Alright," I cleared my throat and he nodded, patting my shoulder.

"Good. See ya in a bit, Nibbles." I didn't get to say anything before Gaius sprinted away into the trees. Lissa called me over, and I saw that camp was being set up still, yet was almost complete. The rain stopped, and the fire flickered to life before Sumia and Frederick. I stood up and made my way over, wondering how long Gaius would be. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I knew he wouldn't be getting them very legally.

Oh well, food was food.


	3. On The Way

**A/N: Aw, thank you for the reviews! And thank you for pointing out the switched personalities; I'll fix that later when I have the chance. Anyway, I'm glad my humble story is being enjoyed! I apologize this is short (this is just a bit of a 'filler' chapter,) but the next chapter will be a lot longer. We're almost to Ylisstol!**

* * *

"Whoa, is that Ylisstol?"

"It's big, isn't it?"

I stood on the top of the large hill, looking on at the giant capital before us. We have traveled for another day or so before we had gotten close (and I was proud to say I had a pouch of macarons on my hip; I had eaten at least four.)

"It's huge," I turned to Chrom, "you rule it all?"

He nodded. "It's a big responsibility, but I was born into it. I'll follow my older sister's footsteps as well as I can."

"You have an older sister?"

"Had. She . . . she died three years ago." He got surprisingly quiet, and I frowned.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I mumbled, feeling bad about asking. However, he just shook his head and looked at me.

"It's alright. She wouldn't want me to mourn. Though it was a great loss, I must move on with my people." He even gave me a smile, though I could tell it was painful for him. I nodded.

"Yeah, I guess so." I said, looking back at Ylisstol. I turned to say something else, but Chrom was already walking back down the hill to camp. I looked at the capital one last time before I ran after him. By the time we got back, Frederick was cleaning up the camp so we could continue to Ylisstol. I decided to help Sumia calm down her Pegasus . . . apparently, something had managed to spook it, and it just wouldn't calm down. What was so bad that it would scare a war Pegasus, I wanted to know.

"Shh," Sumia put her hand on the Pegasus's neck, looking at me as I came over. "Sylphie, could you get me one of her treats from my bag?"

I nodded and bent down, opening her satchel. I pulled out a small, round treat that smelled strongly of apples. I held it out to Sumia, and she smiled as she took it and gave it to her Pegasus. We both watched as it slowly began to calm itself.

"What could have scared your Pegasus so badly?" I asked, and she shook her head.

"I don't really know," She admitted, "but she's not scared easily. She's faced a lot worse than a squirrel." She shook her head again and mounted the animal. "Oh well, whatever it was is gone now."

I let out a 'mhm' and turned, reaching into my pouch and pulling out a macaron as I walked to the others. I heard Gaius call "Nibbles" and I reached into my pouch, pulled one out, and tossed it to him without even a second thought.

"Where'd you get them?" Lissa asked me, holding her staff tightly with both hands.

"Nowhere," I shrugged my shoulders, "Gaius got them."

"But Gaius doesn't have money."

"I dunno, I wasn't there when he got them. He could've stolen them, though I don't really care."

"You're eating stolen macarons?!" Lissa frowned.

I rolled my eyes and grinned. "I guess so. Tastes good, though."

"I'm telling Chrom!"

"C'mon! Do you want one?"

"Of course not! I don't eat stolen foods!" Her frown deepened, though it turned into a straight line as she glared and reached into my pouch. She pulled out a macaron and turned from me, trying to make it so I couldn't see her stuffing it into her mouth. Man, the royalty in this place was intriguing.

* * *

"So, why am I walking next to you again?"

I looked up at Robin, and he scoffed. "I just wanted to speak with you, but if you're going to–"

"Just speak before I hit you." I warned, and he held up his hands.

"Okay, I just want to know how you fared with that lance. I didn't see much."

"Uh . . . I lasted until someone got me . . ."

"Did you kill anyone?"

"I got a hit, but I don't know if he died."

"Interesting," Robin muttered, and said nothing more. I did _not _sign up for awkward, now did I?

"Well," He said finally, waving a hand around, "if you can fare well with a lance again, then maybe I'll consider placing you in the battle lines."

My eyes widened, and I shook my head. "No, wait, I don't want to fight!" I objected. I really, really didn't like fighting. I didn't like the blood, I didn't like the shouting, and I certainly didn't like the chances of dying.

"Then where do you want to be placed?" He raised an eyebrow at me, and I looked away. Where _did _I want to be placed? I knew that if we were attacked by bandits on the road, I'd have to be somewhere. After thinking for a moment, I responded,

"If you think I can fare with a lance, yet I don't care for fighting, why not put me in the spot for War Cleric?"

I swear, I think he almost choked on his own spit. "War Cleric? Are you insane, Sylphie?"

I nodded. "It means that I'll be on the field, and I'll only have to fight if I have to. Besides, healing sounds like something I'd be better at."

"Well, do you know how to heal?" Robin cleared his throat, and I felt myself get embarrassed.

"No, I don't," I admitted, but Lissa piped up.

"I'll teach you! You'll be a great War Cleric like Maribell!" She said cheerfully, waving her staff in my direction. Honestly, I didn't know how a War Cleric worked. Didn't they both heal and fight? Was I even capable of fighting? Who the crap was Maribell?

"Y-yeah," I murmured, rubbing the back of my neck. I heard Sumia and Chrom laugh at me, though in a friendly way, and a smile worked its way up to my lips.

"You'll be great," Sumia said kindly, closing her eyes for a second as she did so. It was probably the cutest thing I had seen with her; I wondered what else she could throw at me.

I chuckled and rubbed my eyes as I walked. Just with my luck, I ran right into something hard, and I let out a groan. Stumbling back a bit, I heard Gaius's laugh as I opened my eyes and looked at what I ran into. Well, it was the post of the sign that said 'Two Miles to Ylisstol.'

"Two miles?" I asked, and Chrom nodded.

"Two miles," He confirmed, walking ahead with the rest of the group. I stood there, staring at the sign for a moment, before shaking my head and running to catch up with them. I had never been in a capital before, and this would probably be something that I'd have to get used to. A grin spread on my lips and my heartbeat increased as I thought of all the wonderful things Ylisstol would offer someone like me.


	4. Ylisstol

Chapter 4:

**A/N:** **I'm sorry for such a late update! I was really busy, plus I've began to be occupied by another story, called Munax Vuun (which I will put a link to!) It's my story that I had put on a hiatus, and now I'm bringing it back for the fans. Anyway, just know to expect updates on weekdays only! R&R?**

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I felt like, as soon as I entered Ylisstol, I was slapped in the face. Not even a minute after we arrived, we were swarmed by curious peasants and children, asking if anything exciting had happened while their Shepherds were away. Chrom gave them a brief description of what happened at my home village.

"We stopped at a raided village, one in which everyone was dead," He shook his head, "and everything was burning. The only survivor was Sylphie here."

I blushed when he motioned to me, and all eyes fell on my reddening face. I almost immediately hid behind Robin.

The tactician looked down at me, but he said nothing. It was even more embarrassing than the fact that everyone was staring at me, however, I didn't move. I hated attention, and I refused to answer any questions that they asked me.

It was only five minutes past noon when the commoners lost interest in me, and I was, honestly, glad when they left to go carry on with their normal activities. It gave me time to admire Ylisstol without worry as we walked.

Along the way, Chrom pointed out every important building – the bakery, the church, the palace in the distance (of course,) the doctor's home, the bathhouse, etc. I stopped paying attention soon after he listed those, even though I think he listed a few more. I had my eyes wide open as I watched each building move as we passed, and I heard Gaius snicker at my puppy-like actions.

We walked on the bumpy path, and I was surprised when people didn't move aside for us. Noticing my surprise, Lissa said, "We don't want special treatment. We're just like the commoners, but with weapons!"

"So you all don't like being treated differently? But . . . what about you and Chrom?"

"Oh, that's only at the palace!" She made an intent face. "Out here, we're just like them. We have to buy things at the same price and everything!"

I laughed as the princess gave me a cheeky smile. I looked away from her and over at Sumia, who was chatting with Chrom. Her face seemed bright, and it made me happy to see her like that. However, at the same time, it caused a slight pang in my heart knowing she loved him when he was married with children.

I clasped my hands together and looked at my feet, bumping into Robin suddenly. I looked up and was about to shout at him, before I saw we were at the palace – a place that was absolutely huge up close. I let my jaw drop in awe, and then closed my mouth when Lissa hit my shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Frederick, Gaius and Sumia go to an iron door, and when I went to go with them Lissa grabbed my hand and pulled me with her, Chrom and Robin as they headed towards the large gate. With a wave of the hand from Chrom towards the guards, the gates opened, and I was once again pulled along behind them.

As soon as I entered, I was awe-struck once again – the room was large, with gray columns along the sides. There were pictures of the Exalt family and velvet over the large windows, and the carpet was like a snake of red that led to a set of large, brown doors. Servants and guards talked and tended to their duties. Chrom and Lissa gave them firm 'hello's as we passed, and I swore one of the guards looked at me with a look that no innocent woman would want. It seemed Robin noticed as well, because he put a strong hand on my shoulder.

"Chrom, is Lucina or Severa in the throne room?" asked Lissa.

"I think so," He replied, "Cordelia should be in there too."

"Aren't those your daughters and your wife?" I asked, and Lissa grinned.

"Yup! I'm an auntie!" She stood up straighter and pushed the doors open, walking confidently next to her brother. Robin slipped his hand off of my shoulder and, when I looked at him, he simply raised his eyebrows. I looked away and saw that on the throne itself was a bright red-haired woman with white armor; on the left arm there was a girl with long, blue hair and a sword attached to her hip and a cape; and on the right arm there was a girl with light reddish-brown hair which was in twin-tails, and her armor was light. I tried to name them, but I couldn't. All three of the girls stopped chatting to look at Chrom.

"Father!"

"Chrom!"

"Ew, it's father!"

I watched as Chrom grinned, walking towards his family. The red-haired woman stood up first and put her arms around his neck, and they kissed for a moment before embracing each other. The blue-haired girl followed suit with the hug, grinning; while the twin-tailed girl kept her arms crossed.

"That's Severa," Lissa pointed to her, "she never says what she means. She could favor you, but she'd say that she hates you. Don't take anything she says personally . . . if she says anything rude, it's because she likes you. The other girl is the oldest sister, Lucina. When she came here, she pretended to be a boy! Aaaaaand, the woman whom Chrom kissed is, of course, Cordelia."

I nodded, holding my hands behind my back. I laughed as Chrom released his other two girls and turned to Severa, forcing her into a hug. She squirmed for a moment before laughing and hugging him back, though it was short. As soon as she saw me, her laughter stopped and she yanked out of Chrom's grip.

"_Who _is that woman? Are you bringing strangers home again, you idiot?!" She half-shouted and the Exalt put a hand to his ear.

"Hey, calm down," He muttered, "I don't want to go deaf."

"_**WHO **_is that?!"

"This is Sylphie!" Lissa spoke for me when words didn't come out of my mouth. "We rescued her from the last village we were at. She was the only survivor! Crazy, huh? I'm thinking about making her a War Cleric, and I can teach her how to use axes and staves! I can probably sneak a lance in there–"

"Hello, Sylphie!" Cordelia smiled at me, ignoring Severa's glare. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Any friend of Chrom and Lissa is a friend of mine."

Lucina said nothing; however, she bowed slightly to me. At least she was polite, in a sense.

I bowed back, though it was directed towards all of them. "I-it's nice to meet you too."

"She's not going to stay here, is she?" Severa asked, glaring down at me from the platform that the throne sat on. She had a hand on her hip, and she looked like one of the snotty girls who went to school with me.

"She is," Robin finally chimed in, and Severa let out an angry whine.

"What? No! I don't want _another _victim joining us after what the previous one did to you!"

Robin's face hardened, and he said nothing more. I looked up at him, and I genuinely felt curious. What had happened? Who had done it?

"Severa, stop it!" Lissa scolded. "Sylphie is honest and sweet. She'd never do anything to Robin, or any of us. Don't judge her so quickly!"

"That's what you told me when we brought him in. And you know what he did to Robin! I'm not going to trust Sylphie until she proves to not be another Stylon." Severa let out a 'humph' and crossed her arms, storming down the steps and pushing past me as she left the throne room. I looked up at Robin and mouthed, "Stylon?"

Robin looked down at me, and his eyes were glossy. It took him a moment before he said, "Don't worry about it, Sylphie."

I wanted to ask something more, but Lissa grabbed my hand and gave me a look that clearly told me to stop. I looked at my feet again, not bothering to look up as Robin left the throne room, too. What had this man, Stylon, done to Robin that was so bad?

"Anyway," Cordelia coughed, "Lissa, why don't you show Sylphie here to a guest room? I need to talk with Chrom and Lucina."

Lissa nodded and turned, leading me to a side door that pushed open. She pulled me along, and I looked down as the velvet carpet turned into a stone floor. There were only about two windows in the hallway, and she led me to the last room on the right. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a key and put it on my hand.

"This is your room. Robin's is three down from yours, if you ever need anything." She looked down. "Just . . . don't bother him at around six in the evening. He gets really withdrawn there."

"What did Stylon do to him?" I asked quietly, closing the key in my hand.

"I'll tell you tonight, I swear." She pat my shoulder. "For now, just rest. You deserve it, Sylphie."


End file.
